The present invention is directed to a personal water slide. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an improved construction of personal water slide which cushions the impact of the user with the ground and helps retain the user on the slide, reducing the likelihood of the user slipping off of the sides.
Personal water slides for use in the backyard to entertain one or more kids have become quite popular. These slides consist of an elongated sheet of plastic which is flooded by a garden hose or the like, to provide a film of water on the sheet which permits a kid to slide along the plastic surface. One problem with these slides is that "bigger kids" who happen to venture to try belly flopping on the slide, find that their larger, and sometimes older, frames do not receive the impact with the ground well.
An additional problem with conventional slides is that more often than not, an approach run for an intended slide along the surface will include a certain component of non-aligned momentum which will lead to the user slipping off the side of the slide. Even if the approach run has an aligned trajectory, a low spot in the terrain supporting the slide can result in repeated slipping off the side of the plastic sheet at the low spot.
A third short coming of existing water slides is that most younger children are forced to watch while their brothers and sisters and older neighbors enjoy the slide. Toddlers lack the ability to perform the necessary motor functions to run and belly flop on the plastic sheet.
It is the intent of the present invention to remedy these deficiencies in the existing water slides. The slide of the present invention comprises an elongated sheet of plastic which includes a built in cushion in the form of a first series of tubes extending along the length of the plastic sheet which can be filled with a first fluid such as air. The valve on the water slide is positioned on the lower surface, for safety reasons, and allows the slide to be inflated by a conventional bicycle pump, a compressor, or orally. This first series of tubes preferably have a diameter, for example, of between 1 and 3 inches.
A second series of tubes having a larger diameter adjacent the periphery of the slide provide a side deflecting cushion which help keep the user from sliding off the side of the plastic sheet. These tubes preferably have a diameter, for example, of between 2 and 5 inches and will preferably have larger diameter than the tubes of the first series, on the order of double the diameter.
The water slide of the present invention includes a rectangular skimmer seat which is dimensioned to fit within the second series of tubes and which is equipped with a tow rope. Younger siblings can then be included in the fun by permitting a parent or older, responsible child to pull the toddler seated on the skimmer along the surface of the water slide.
Various other features, advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after a reading of the following specification.